Samson- Incredible Strength/Incredible weakness

Intro-

Lessons we learn:

Samson’s strength didn’t come from the gym

This man is remembered because of his superhuman strength

killing 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone

killing 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone

Judges 15:14 ESV

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.

killing a lion

killing a lion

Judges 14:6 ESV

Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

When the Lord left Samson, His strength failed him

When the Lord left Samson, His strength failed him

Judges 16:20 ESV

And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.

God uses flawed individuals for His purposes

Samson had superhuman strength but he had weaknesses as well.

As we study the account of samson, we aren’t studying a man who did great things. We are studying a God who carried out his will regardless of what he had to work with.

The account of samson isn’t about an incredibly strong man, it is about an unstoppable God.

Judges 13:5 ESV

for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

Samson’s purpose was to begin to deliver the people from the Philistines. It wasn’t Samson choosing to drive the philistines away, it was God using samson to fulfill his will

When you hang around sin, you lose.

Judges 16:1 ESV

Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her.

It amazes me that his man was so unintelligent that he stuck around this woman when she was so obviously trying to destroy him

Have you ever seen someone hang around sin even though they knew it wasn’t good for them?

Without fail, hanging around sin will consume and destroy

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

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We have a desperate need for Christ

As you follow the story of the Bible we do a disservice when we fail to put things in their proper perspective.

from forward everything is about Jesus.

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

When God’s people abandoned Him, he allowed them to be enslaved for a time

He rescued them from slavery only for them to be abandoned again.

He gave them a military leader in Joshua who conquered so much in the name of the Lord that you would think their faith and trust would last forever, sadly they didn’t the whole book of Judges shows that time and time again people left God… Glad we don’t do that today...

Samson had a mission to free the people from the Philistines but even with his super human strength, that job was not completed until David was king

Samson is another reminder for God’s people that no matter how great, strong, intelligent, wealthy, powerful a man is… no one can do what God can.